Chapter 119: Those Who Conduct Grand Affairs

At these words, several people cast strange looks at Wang Qiang.

Zhang Qian withdrew his gaze and looked toward Cheng Weihong. "Brother Cheng, a twenty-thousand-yuan Longines watch!?"

"Didn't he say it only cost a few thousand?" Hou Zhiqiang also felt a bit puzzled.

Sister Qian and Old Zhu remained silent. Both looked at the sleeve covering Wang Qiang’s left wrist, then back at Cheng Weihong, at a loss for words. They felt something they couldn't quite put into names—wasn't he afraid of scratching or damaging a twenty-thousand-yuan watch just by wearing it?

But twenty thousand yuan.

That wasn't two hundred, or two thousand.

Many factory workers didn't earn even three thousand yuan in an entire year, even without spending a penny. If you looked at farmers, some might not even make two thousand in a year. Now, they were looking at a watch that would take some people ten years of labor, without eating or drinking, just to afford?

If anyone else had said this, they might not have believed it. But Zhang Qian and the others knew that Cheng Weihong was a devotee of Longines watches; he wouldn't make such a claim without reason.

Old Zhu, standing to the side, looked at Wang Qiang with a hint of shock. "Little Wang, your watch..."

Wang Qiang spread his hands and gave a wry smile. "I really didn't know. I told you, a friend gave it to me. If Brother Cheng hadn't said it was worth twenty thousand, I'd still think it was only worth a few thousand."

"I know, I know," Old Zhu said with the look of someone who had already seen through the act. "You don't need to explain."

Even he was convinced that Wang Qiang was just being modest.

Zhang Qian couldn't help but ask, "You really didn't know?"

Wang Qiang confirmed, "Yes, I'm not lying to you."

Seeing him say this, everyone believed him about thirty percent. From the beginning, Wang Qiang had been saying it was a gift, so not knowing the price was only natural. However, they remained deeply curious: what kind of Longines watch could be worth over twenty thousand?

They began to press him for details.

Only then did Cheng Weihong show a look of envy. "If I’m not mistaken, this is the Longines Heritage Military 1938. Calling it twenty thousand is a conservative estimate."

Zhang Qian was stunned. "Twenty thousand is a conservative estimate?"

Hou Zhiqiang and Sister Qian exclaimed, "You mean it's worth more than twenty thousand?"

"Yes," Cheng Weihong sighed. "When I first saw Little Wang check the time, I felt something was off. The black crocodile leather strap with the white stitching, that elegant aura, it looked a bit like the Longines military watch. After taking a closer look, it really is the 1938 reissue. It's very rare in the country. If you bought an authentic one, the price might be even higher than what I quoted."

Sister Qian hesitated. "How much would an authentic one cost in China?"

"That's hard to say, because the tariffs are too high," Cheng Weihong, who was well-versed in these things, said confidently. "But if I were the one buying, I'd be willing to pay up to thirty thousand. The twenty thousand I mentioned is the price for smuggled goods."

Zhang Qian swallowed hard. "You might not even be able to buy it for thirty thousand in China?"

Cheng Weihong glanced at him. "Even if you went to Switzerland to buy it, it would probably cost sixteen or seventeen thousand. If you add tariffs and everything else, wouldn't it be over thirty thousand? I’m sure of it. I specifically asked a Longines boutique about it last time; if you want one, you have to place an order, and the store will have it shipped from Switzerland. It's not easy to find. We're in Shanghai, but if you were in a smaller city, you wouldn't be able to buy it at all."

Over thirty thousand? And not easy to buy?

Everyone grew serious after hearing this. They all realized that Wang Qiang was walking around with a small fortune on his wrist.

Once Cheng Weihong finished, he turned to Wang Qiang. "Boss Wang, I’m not wrong, am I?"

"Like I said, I really didn't know," Wang Qiang said helplessly. "I have some things to take care of, so I have to go. If you decide you want the goods, give me a call." With that, he turned to pull Old Zhu away.

Before they could leave, someone grabbed his arm. Cheng Weihong stopped Wang Qiang to hold him for a second, but before he could speak, he realized something and quickly added, "Oh, I hope I didn't bump your watch, did I?"

Zhang Qian, who had been offering advice earlier, went quiet. He felt a sudden jolt of shock, and thinking back on what he had said to everyone earlier, he felt quite embarrassed. Someone who could wear a twenty-or-thirty-thousand-yuan watch—even if it was a gift—clearly had significant connections. If you had no standing yourself, how could you possibly associate with friends capable of giving such extravagant gifts?

Sister Qian asked curiously, "Boss Wang, is your friend very wealthy?"

Wang Qiang nodded. "I suppose you could say that, though it's hard to tell." He wasn't lying; Lu Dahai owed hundreds of thousands from buying the gold-processing machinery factory, so it was hard to call him "wealthy." But Wang Qiang was also very confused—where did Lu Dahai get such an expensive watch? Right, Lu Dahai once mentioned a friend who went abroad; perhaps it was brought back from Switzerland. He would have to find an opportunity to ask. Wang Qiang made a mental note to ask Lu Dahai when he returned.

"Haha, you're joking. If he wasn't rich, could he give you such an expensive watch? What does he do?" Hou Zhiqiang didn't believe Wang Qiang was serious.

Wang Qiang didn't elaborate. "He runs a factory."

Runs a factory?

Zhang Qian and Hou Zhiqiang exchanged glances, feeling more and more that this man was truly low-profile. Thinking back to Wang Qiang’s earlier bold claim about being able to procure ten thousand portable cassette players, they were now seventy or eighty percent convinced. No wonder—his friend ran a factory.

Clearly, they had misunderstood him to mean an electronics factory.

At this moment, Wang Qiang looked at Cheng Weihong. "Brother Cheng, did you need something else?"

Cheng Weihong rubbed his hands together, looking slightly embarrassed. "We know the price of the cassette players now. Tell me the prices for Walkmans, CD players, digital watches, and subwoofers. If the price is right, I’ll take them from you, regardless of whether the others want in or not."

"Oh, no problem. But I have to be clear: I can't get subwoofers for now, but the others are fine," Wang Qiang said bluntly.

Cheng Weihong blinked. "It's fine if you can't get subwoofers. Tell me the prices for the others first."

Wang Qiang recalled the details. "I can only get that one type of single-function cassette player. As for full-featured Walkmans, there are three grades."

Zhang Qian and Sister Qian listened intently, not yet committing to an order.

Hou Zhiqiang asked, "What are the three grades?"

Wang Qiang reeled them off in one breath. "The cheapest is 125 yuan, the mid-range is 180, and the premium ones are 300. There are two types of CD players: the cheap ones are 500, and the high-end ones are 600. As for digital watches, there are many varieties, ranging from 10 to 150 yuan, depending on the quality you want."

Zhang Qian exclaimed, "The cheapest Walkman is only 125? That's dozens of yuan cheaper than what we're getting!"

Sister Qian was moved. "The CD players are cheap too. The good ones are only 600? We usually have to pay 6... 530." She had almost blurted out the actual market price, but caught herself just in time.

Wang Qiang said confidently, "Yes, that's the price. Take your time to consider if you want to order. I really have something to attend to..."

"Don't go yet! Tell us more details," Zhang Qian said, clearly interested. "How do the premium Walkmans compare to Aiwa?"

Wang Qiang was anxious to get back to make his call, but he couldn't afford to neglect his clients. "In terms of brand name, they definitely aren't as famous as Aiwa, but the quality is just as good. The retail price on the market is around 500 yuan. It's a pity you don't deal in components like tactile switches or metal membrane buttons, or I could get those for you too."

He had learned all this while in Shenzhen. The prices there were much cheaper than in Shanghai. It was a shame he couldn't source subwoofers to lock down the entire deal with Cheng Weihong and the others, but such is life—nothing is ever perfect.

Wang Qiang kept checking the time. It was almost 11:30; it would be too late if he didn't get back to make the call. But Cheng Weihong and the others were still whispering among themselves.

Wang Qiang couldn't wait any longer. "Discuss it among yourselves. I have some business to attend to. We'll stay in touch by phone."

Seeing him about to leave, Zhang Qian scrambled, "I want in! I'll take them, Boss Wang... no, Boss Wang, I've decided to order from you."

Wang Qiang was burning with impatience. "Tell Brother Zhu how much you need. I really can't miss this window."

Sister Qian immediately smiled. "Go ahead, Boss Wang. We'll talk it over with Brother Zhu. Just give us a call once you've confirmed everything. Someone like you doing big business is always busy—go on ahead."

Wang Qiang was left speechless. "It's not that big of a business. Alright, I'm off. Brother Zhu, give me the keys. I'll come back to pick you up after I finish my business. Note down how much they need."

"Got it," Old Zhu handed him the motorcycle keys.

"Goodbye!" Zhang Qian called out eagerly. He watched Wang Qiang disappear down the stairwell before turning to Old Zhu. "Brother Zhu, what exactly is Boss Wang's background? He even has a friend who runs a factory? It seems his business is anything but small."

They were now completely at ease with Wang Qiang. Even the fact that he seemed a bit impatient to leave didn't bother them; big bosses were always busy. Before, they had thought his plain attire didn't fit the image of a major distributor, but now they realized he was just being low-profile.

Couldn't afford a brick phone? Was he trying to scam their deposits? Was he playing hard to get?

Zhang Qian felt sheepish thinking about his initial doubts. From what they had just seen, it wasn't that he couldn't afford a phone, but that he was frugal. Otherwise, how could he wear a twenty-or-thirty-thousand-yuan watch without a care? Even if it was a gift, his friend was a factory owner.

He had a friend who ran a factory. He could get such cheap electronics. Could he really not afford a brick phone? Zhang Qian didn't believe it, and no one else did either. They could only come to one conclusion: Wang Qiang was a simple and frugal man.

Yes, people are strange like that. Once they decide someone is capable, they will find all sorts of reasons to explain their behavior. Just as in a passionate romance, where one partner's unreasonable demands are viewed as "cute and coquettish."

Since they had decided Wang Qiang was a big-time businessman, they naturally filled in the blanks to explain why his behavior didn't fit the stereotype of a major distributor.